Statement on Bill of Rights Day

December 15, 2022

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The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) hopes everyone is enjoying the holiday season and spreading Christmas cheer to friends and family. During this time, we also celebrate a gift that Americans received 231 years ago — the Bill of Rights! On December 15, 1791, after crafting our Constitution, the Founding Fathers devised and ratified an equally necessary document — the Bill of Rights. Importantly, the Bill of Rights does not give us the rights mentioned within it but instead acknowledges them as fundamental to a free people and granted by God. Indeed, in drafting these first 10 Amendments, James Madison intended to protect the people from its government, not the other way around.

But the Bill of Rights is not unique to America. In fact, such constitutional documents are commonplace around the world. So, what sets our Bill of Rights apart from other countries’ foundational documents?

The difference is the Americans.

Throughout history, America has been blessed with men and women who will stand up and add in that last part — and we mean it.

We have a right to free speech — and we mean it.

We have a right to bear arms — and we mean it.

We have a right to fair trials — and we mean it.

We have a right to be secure from unreasonable search and seizure — and we mean it.

We have a right to sovereign states within the Union — and we mean it.

That “and we mean it” is absolutely everything different and precious about the great American experiment. We are a people who deserve liberty both because we are created equal and because we earn and defend it. So, throughout our history on this continent, we have had extraordinary defenders of freedom, men and women who kept the dream alive, preserved it, extended it, and handed it down to the next generation.

During this time, we also pray for those less fortunate around the world who are resisting and protesting tyrannical governments that fervently oppose the ideals and values that we hold dear. At AFPI, we recognize that it is up to our Nation’s people to protect these liberties set forth by our Founders, and we stand ready to defend those rights against efforts to erode them by the radical Left. From our victories in the Supreme Court to those at the state and local levels, AFPI will continue to fight for this generation and the next. Learn more about the Bill of Rights by exploring our Freedom Fact Sheet and any of our pieces on each of the 10 original Amendments!